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Worcester Man Gets 27 Years In Prison For Plotting To Torture Children In Dungeon

WORCESTER (CBS/AP) — A Worcester man who authorities say chatted online with other men about their mutual desire to kidnap, rape, kill and eat children will spend the next 27 years in prison.

Geoffrey Portway, 40, received the maximum sentence Tuesday in federal court.  He will also be on probation for the rest of his life.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports

Worcester Man Gets 27 Years In Prison For Plotting To Torture Children In Dungeon

Authorities say they found a dungeon, homemade coffin, butchering kit and other tools in the basement of Portway's home earlier this year.

In a sentencing memo filed in court, prosecutors say online chats recovered from Portway's computer show he solicited people for help to kidnap a child with the intent of raping, killing and eating the child.

Prosecutors and Portway's lawyer agreed to a sentencing range of 18 years to a little over 27 years in a plea agreement.

Portway's attorney, Richard Sweeney, argued that no one was touched or photographed by Portway.

"It is important to note, the Defendant never engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a minor. There is no evidence that the Defendant ever acted out any of his fantasies," Sweeney wrote in a sentencing memo.

But prosecutors say Portway, 40, appeared to be serious.

"In the chats, Portway becomes tired of people engaged in role play or fantasy, telling no less than 15 chat partners he is serious about wanting to kill and eat a child," Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacy Dawson Belf wrote in a sentencing memo.

Portway is a British citizen who has lived in the United States most of his life.

He was among dozens of people arrested in an international child porn investigation.

"We're happy to see this defendant put behind bars, but extremely upset and disturbed, as is the public, by these crimes," Worcester County District Attorney Joe Early Jr. said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

"His actions and possible future actions are as severe a threat to our community as anything we have ever seen. The images and evidence produced in court are unimaginable."

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

 

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